The International Water Conference (IWC) is proud to present the following three students with the 2018 IWC Travel Scholarship:

Joshua Benjamin

University: University of South Florida

Class: 2021

Major: Environmental Engineering

Nader Rezaei

University: University of South Florida

Class: 2019

Major: Chemical Engineering

Stephen LaBonia

University: University of Florida

Class: 2019

Major: Chemical Engineering

These students demonstrated an interest and commitment to seek a career in the field of water technology. They were presented their scholarship at the Opening Session during the 79th Annual IWC on Monday, November 5, 2018 at Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale, AZ, USA.

This could not be possible without the support of McKim & Creed and Dewberry Engineers who sponsored the students and was a mentor to them before, during, and after the conference. We could not provide this experience without their support!

After the presentation of scholarship, the IWC welcomed Keynote Speaker, Joel Beauvais, (Partner, Latham & Watkins) with Master of Ceremonies, Patricia Scroggin, P.E. from Burns & McDonnell. More information on the 2018 IWC program can be found here.

Scottsdale, Arizona was the new destination for the 79th Annual International Water Conference that took place on November 4-8, 2018. It brought together almost 900 end users, researchers, practicing engineers, educators, suppliers and contractors from more than 15 countries to learn unbiased details about the latest applications available in the industry, get educated on current technology and hold wide ranging discussions with their peers active in water treatment.

The conference opened on Sunday at 10:00 AM local time with an IWC Golf Outing at the Talking Stick Golf Club. It was followed by Continuing Education Workshops, Outdoor Exhibit Hall, and Get Acquainted Reception. The Golf Outing and Outdoor Exhibit Hall are a new addition to the conference, pleasantly surprising attendees.

To continue the excitement, the IWC introduced a H20 Theatre on Monday and Tuesday. The H20 Theatre offered a chance for companies to present information about their company that they could not present in the technical sessions. In addition, an Idea Board was added for attendees to communicate their thoughts in real time! The final addition to the conference was a TopGolf Outing hosting over 50 attendees on Wednesday evening located less than a mile from the venue.

Over the 5-day conference, 75 technical papers and 18 Continuing Education Workshops were conducted. All are carefully peer reviewed for quality and to ensure they are non-commercial. Each paper presentation at the IWC is followed by a prepared discussion-a thoroughly considered, different perspective on the topic. This was followed by an open floor discussion when all audience members and presenters can fully interact-ask questions, seek clarification, and raise alternative viewpoints.

Overall, we want to thank all the attendees, sponsors, and committee members for contributing to a successful conference and we hope to see you for the 80th Anniversary of the International Water Conference taking place on November 10-14, 2019 at the Hilton Lake Buena Vista in Orlando, FL, USA.

RIZZO International Inc. is proud to announce their first anniversary and achievement of national certification as a Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) and Women Owned Small Business (WOSB) by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).

Rachelle Rizzo, President of RIZZO International stated, “I’m so proud to continue in my father’s, (Dr. Paul Rizzo), footsteps leading a team to execute extraordinary projects all over the world. I’m also very fortunate to have my father still involved as CTO overseeing our phenomenal technical team. His are big shoes to fill, but I’ve been thinking about this opportunity for the decades I have been a part of the industry. As with many new businesses it’s been a challenging first year, but we prevailed and we are extremely excited about our future. Receiving our WBENC certification is definitely adding to the celebration!” My father always says, ‘It’s all part of the adventure!’ Here’s to continuing the adventure!”

To learn more about RIZZO International, Inc., please visit www.RIZZOintl.com.

WBENC’s national standard of certification program is a meticulous process including an in-depth review of the business and site inspection. The certification process is designed to confirm the business is at least 51% owned, operated and controlled by a woman or women.

Over the course of 3 days, over 400 attendees joined us in Bethlehem, PA for the 2018 PA Brownfields Conference. With over 20+ educational sessions and networking opportunities with more than 45 exhibitors the conference was a success.

The conference opened on Monday with two mobile workshops (Brewing Brownfields Back to Life and Big Machines, Big Industry) followed by a “Get Acquainted Reception” at the Musikfest Café at ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks, that gave attendees a birds-eye view of the historic Bethlehem Steel Blast Furnaces.

Tuesday morning the conference started with a “Brownfields 101” session providing attendees an opportunity to learn the basics of Pennsylvania’s brownfields program before the start of the conference. Following this introductory session, we were welcomed to the conference by the Mayor of Bethlehem’s staff and opening remarks by PA Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Patrick McDonnell and U.S. EPA, Office of Land and Emergency Management Deputy Assistant Administrator, Steven Cook. Day two offered more than 12 different sessions for attendees to choose from, plus a full exhibit hall providing attendees the opportunity to lunch and learn, as they visit with vendors.

Wednesday continued with 10 more sessions and an “Economic Forecast” by Don Cunningham from Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC). The conference concluded with a workshop “Winning EPA Brownfield Grants – Tips and Tricks for Success” as experts presented way to write a successful proposal.

Overall, we want to thank all the attendees, sponsors, and committee members for contributing to a successful conference. Stay tuned for information on when the next PA Brownfields Conference will occur. The Conference is planned in collaboration between the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Engineers’ Society of Western Pennsylvania (ESWP).

Over the course of 3 days, over 400 attendees joined us in Bethlehem, PA for the 2018 PA Brownfields Conference. With over 20+ educational sessions and networking opportunities with more than 45 exhibitors the conference was a success.

The conference opened on Monday with two mobile workshops (Brewing Brownfields Back to Life and Big Machines, Big Industry) followed by a “Get Acquainted Reception” at the Musikfest Café at ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks, that gave attendees a birds-eye view of the historic Bethlehem Steel Blast Furnaces.

Tuesday morning the conference started with a “Brownfields 101” session providing attendees an opportunity to learn the basics of Pennsylvania’s brownfields program before the start of the conference. Following this introductory session, we were welcomed to the conference by the Mayor of Bethlehem’s staff and opening remarks by PA Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Patrick McDonnell and U.S. EPA, Office of Land and Emergency Management Deputy Assistant Administrator, Steven Cook. Day two offered more than 12 different sessions for attendees to choose from, plus a full exhibit hall providing attendees the opportunity to lunch and learn, as they visit with vendors.

Wednesday continued with 10 more sessions and an “Economic Forecast” by Don Cunningham from Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC). The conference concluded with a workshop “Winning EPA Brownfield Grants – Tips and Tricks for Success” as experts presented way to write a successful proposal.

Overall, we want to thank all the attendees, sponsors, and committee members for contributing to a successful conference. Stay tuned for information on when the next PA Brownfields Conference will occur. The Conference is planned in collaboration between the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Engineers’ Society of Western Pennsylvania (ESWP).

ESWP hosted their 3rd Annual YMF Summer Social at the Engineers’ Society of Western Pennsylvania on September 7, 2018. The event was co-hosted by ASCE, ASHE, Tau Beta Pi, SAME, and WTS Pittsburgh Sections. This year the event brought together a record attendance of more than 60 young engineers in the Greater Pittsburgh area. The goal of this event is to seek and prepare the next generation of engineers by highlighting the diverse spectrum of engineering and related technical societies. Each co-host contributed a gift basket to raffle off and had a chance to inform attendees of their professional organization.

New this year, ESWP implemented a 50/50 raffle, that the proceeds benefited the Red Door Program at Saint Mary of Mercy Church. St. Mary of Mercy Church, which is in the heart of downtown Pittsburgh, provides several kinds of assistance to people in need. The “oldest” of St. Mary’s services is the Red Door Program which began during the Great Depression. This program provides a bag lunch, Monday through Saturday to more than 100 persons each day. The program is underwritten by St. Mary of Mercy Church through various contributions made directly to the Red Door. After the conclusion of this event, ESWP donated a total of $80 to the Red Door Program. ESWP plans on implementing this event again in 2019 in hopes to exceed their contribution to a charitable organization.

As you can see our Young Member Forum is gaining momentum by offering the YMF Summer Social and other quality programs designed specifically with the young engineer in mind. If you are not already a ‘young member’ ESWP offers an Under-35 dues rate of $25 annually, with a limited time offer of NO entrance fee (a $55 savings!) Now is the time to add ESWP to your professional network and expand your horizons. Click here: https://eswp.com/membership/individual-membership-2/

We had a great response to the ESWP Members Scholarship program and after careful consideration in making some difficult decisions, we would like to extend congratulations to Lucia Bruschi and Katherine Sieber, who were selected as recipients of the 2018 ESWP Members Scholarship. Lucia, a graduate of Mt. Lebanon High School, is a Chemical Engineering student at the Pennsylvania State University in State College, PA and daughter of member Enrico Bruschi. Katherine, a graduate of West Allegheny High School, is a Mechanical Engineering student at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, PA and the daughter of member Suzanne Sieber. Each recipient will receive $2,500.00 to further their engineering education. Congratulations to our scholarship recipients and thank you to all who applied.

ESWP 1st Vice-President Dave Borneman was honored upon his retirement after 22 years as Director of Engineering & Construction at ALCOSAN. Dave’s career at ALCOSAN culminated almost forty years of engineering and management service to government agencies in Southwestern Pennsylvania. The event was held in the Members Dining room with many of Dave’s friends and colleagues, including current and former co-workers. ALCOSAN Executive Director Arletta Scott-Williams recognized the many accomplishments achieved under Dave’s time at ALCOSAN. Dave is embarking on new challenges with Arcadis at its Wexford, PA office.

KU Resources, Inc. (KU Resources) has joined with R F Mitall & Associates, a Plum Borough based engineering firm in establishing the Mitall, a Division of KU Resources. This new venture expands KU Resources’ services and the added technical depth of 13 professional and technical staff, will greatly increase and enhance our capabilities to serve clients in both the public and private sectors.

Robert Mitall will stay on as President of the Mitall Division. He is a professional engineer and surveyor with over 40 years of experience working with local companies and municipalities in the field of civil engineering, surveying, architectural support, waste water treatment and governmental support. The Mitall Division has extensive experience in providing consulting services to various units of local government as well as, a proven track record in providing services to planners, architects, developers and contractors on site development projects. The Mitall Division of KU Resources now has licensed professional surveyors, employing state-of-the-art survey equipment to begin any design work or to layout infrastructure.

Monday at Treesdale Golf & Country Club turned out to be a wonderful day for the ESWP’s Annual Golf Outing. 64 players took to the golf course, and despite a brief rain shower at the start of the event, the weather was very cooperative. Players enjoyed some great golf, food and fellowship, all benefiting ESWP’s Student Outreach Activities. Guest Speaker Jim Colony shared a few Pittsburgh-themed sports stories before assisting Event Chair Wayne Johnson with the distribution of team and skill prizes. Thanks to all of our sponsors and raffle prized donors for helping to make the event a big success!